Review 735: Discovery Travel, Villa Valdarechia

When

Le Marche, one week

Location

This year, at the beginning of October we decided to explore northern Le Marche. The villa is about half an hour from Urbino and Gubbio is about one hour away. The location was absolutely beautiful, peaceful, tranquil. Valdarecchia is situated at the top of a hill , in a panoramic position. There are good views of the town, Apecchio below in the valley. The location was very attractive, surrounded by woods and open valleys. We loved the location, as it was ideal for walking.

Nearby Amenities

The nearest village, Apecchio was 1.5 kilometers away. It took us about forty minutes to walk there. In Apecchio you can find a supermarket and two restaurants. The village was so typically Italian, and there was very little English spoken here. The majority of the restaurants were in the countryside. The agency were very helpful and gave us a list of all the restaurants in the area and their opening times.

The House/Apartment

Valdarechia was an old, country farmhouse. It was very characteristic of the area and was furnished with several antique pieces. In the lounge there was a huge open fireplace and many original features such as an old wood burning stove and beamed ceilings.

Garden

Just next to the house, partially shaded by some trees was an eating out area and a bbq with plenty of seating and tables. There were spectacular views from the pool. There was a good sized lawn by the pool.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

The propety was well furnished. The lounge had comfy settees and there were plenty of chairs and tables in the dining room. The owners really looked after their property and they also arranged extra cleaning for us during the stay.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

There were six bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms with showers, plenty of space for both families. The beds were very comfortable and the rooms were well furnished.

Kitchen

The kitchen was spacious and had all the facilities you could wish for. Plenty of pots, pans and dishes. The kitchen was just right for our group size. We really enjoyed cooking and eating at the house , and we ate all of our breakfasts and most of our dinners in the house. On one evening we had a BBQ with the owners who were very welcoming.

Problems or Bonuses

The only problem with the house is that there was no stereo.

We thought that the villa would be closer to the coast. On the map it looked quite close, probably half an hour away, but it took just over one hour.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

We booked through Discovery Travel and they were very helpful in answering our questions. They specialise in the area and know the location very well. What really helped was all the info they sent us on the area and restaurant lists. Le Marche is not as touristy as Umbria or Tuscany, which was great for us but it would have been difficult to find some of the restaurants if they had not provided the restaurant list. The restaurants were on quiet county roads and small villages. The photos and description of the property were accurate.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

We would definitely stay at this villa again. We thought that this was a wonderful relaxing break and it was ideally located for visiting Northern Le Marche.

Things to do in this area

A day trip to Gubbio and Urbino is a must. Citta di Castello, in Umbria can also be reached within one hour. When we visited the property in October it was the "Vendemmia" grape harvest. In the local village we went to a wine festival. The local area is known as the Monte Nerone, we went for long walks and we also went horseriding. We loved the nearby town of Cagli with its quaint piazzas and lovely old "palazzi". Acqualagna, is a small town close to Apecchio, famous for it's truffles. If you are interested in ceramics , visit the small town of Urbania. You can see the craftsmen at work in their small workshops as you wander through the narrow streets. At the coast visit Fermo which has some superb fish and seafood restaurants.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.